Recruiting: Orr update, Fox Valley big emerges, Spring risers

Every player ranked among the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s top 20 prospects in the Class of 2019 is off the board, with the exception of the two Orr senior standouts –– Tujautae Williams and Sherif Kenney.

Williams, a 6-5 guard with length and who is athletically electric, is among the top 10 prospects in the senior class in Illinois and the best uncommitted player remaining.

“I plan on making a decision in the next couple of weeks,” says Williams, who helped lead the Spartans to a state championship in March.

Williams said he enjoyed his visit to Cincinnati last week and plans to visit TCU as soon as the current recruiting dead period is over. Williams says he is down to Cincinnati, TCU, Minnesota and Northwestern State, who he says was the first school on him well before he broke out as high-major prospect.

“They were there right from the start and have been there all the way through,” Williams says of the small Division I school in Louisiana that plays in the Southland Conference.

La Salle has jumped in hard on Kenney, who is originally from the East Coast.

Another Fox Valley Division I big:Cameron Krutwig set the bar extremely high coming out of Jacobs in 2017. The 6-9 big man was among the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s top 10 prospects in his class and is now starring at Loyola.

This past season, Crystal Lake Central’s Alex Timmerman signed with Bucknell and then put up impressive numbers during his senior season, including 17.4 points and 9.2 rebounds a game.

Now Cary-Grove’s Frank Jakubicek is set to become the third big man out of the Fox Valley Conference to emerge as a Division I prospect in the past four years. Jakubicek, who is pushing 6-8 with very strong frame, continues to make strides and has put together a very solid spring with Quad City Elite on the club circuit.

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With physical strength and a high-running motor, Jakubicek is showing more of an offensive game, including a face-up jumper that’s becoming more consistent. He did knock down 46 percent this past season from beyond the arc in limited attempts (26 of 57) en route to averaging 12.8 points and 7.4 rebounds a game.

Spring bloom:In addition to Jakubicek, a few other players in the Class of 2020 have impressed this spring and continue to climb the City/Suburban Hoops Report’s player rankings. Although lesser known, 6-5 R.J. Ogom of Homewood-Flossmoor, 6-4 Damontae Taylor of Zion-Benton, 6-4 Connor Kochera of St. Viator and 6-5 Kyndal Davis of Bogan have all enhanced their individual stock.

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Ogom brings a rugged body and a surprising face-up shooting game that continues to get more consistent. Taylor is a long, dynamic athlete in the open floor while Davis is showing to be more of a versatile threat after playing a key but limited role for state runner-up Bogan this past season.

But among this overlooked group, it’s been Kochera who has elevated himself the most with his size and easy-looking shooting stroke from the perimeter.

Silverstein is back: The late-blooming Sam Silverstein of New Trier was doing a little of everything for the Trevians to start his senior campaign this past season. But an early February injury, which included a pair of broken wrists in a game against Niles North, shelved him for the season just as he started to gain some recognition for his versatility and production.

Worsom Robinson/For the Sun-Times

A long, athletic 6-6 wing, Silverstein has returned to action this spring with Fundamental U on the club circuit. Look for Silverstein, who is headed for a year or prep school, to continue to generate Division I interest going forward. Silverstein’s continued development, upside, rangy 6-6 size and 35 ACT will be awfully intriguing for high-academic Division I programs over the next year.

Another fantastic young Friar: While Fenwick sophomore Bryce Hopkins emerged this past season as one of the elite players in the state, another young Friar has also been impressive.

Freshman guard Trey Pettigrew, who showed flashes this past season at the varsity level for coach Staunton Peck, continues to prove he’s one of the premier guards in the Chicago area in the Class of 2022. Pettigrew, who plays with the Illinois Wolves, brings size and length to the backcourt, along with poise and an easy feel for the game.